Article 78. Education and Training
1. The parties shall cooperate with the aim of raising the level of general education and vocational qualifications in Slovenia, taking into consideration the priorities of Slovenia. Institutional frameworks and plans of cooperation will be established on the basis of the European Training Foundation and the TEMPUS programme. Participation of Slovenia in Community programmes in the field of education, training and youth shall be considered in the context of Article 106.
2. The cooperation shall focus in particular on the following areas and according to detailed arrangements to be determined jointly by the parties:
- the development of education and training system in Slovenia;
- initial training, in-service training and retraining, including the training of public and private sector business executives and senior civil servants, particularly in priority areas to be determined;
- cooperation between universities or other higher education institutions, cooperation between universities or other higher education institutions and firms, and mobility for teachers, young scientists, students and administrators (TEMPUS);
- promoting teaching in the field of European studies within the appropriate institutions;
- promotion of initiatives to foster mutual recognition of periods of study and diplomas;
- promotion of training of trainers.
3. In the field of translation, cooperation will focus on training of translators and interpreters and promotion of Community linguistic standards and terminology.
Article 79. Agriculture and the Agro-industrial Sector
1. Cooperation in this area shall have as its aim the modernisation of agriculture and the agro-industrial sector. It shall endeavour in particular to:
- develop and modernise processing businesses and their methods of storage, marketing, etc.;
- modernise the rural infrastructure (transport, water supply, telecommunications);
- improve land use planning, including construction and urban planning;
- improve productivity and quality through the use of appropriate methods and products; provide training and monitoring in the use of anti-pollution methods connected with inputs;
- promote complementarity in agriculture;
- promote technological cooperation in agriculture and the exchange of know-how, particularly between the private sectors in the Community and Slovenia;
- develop cooperation on animal health and plant health with the aim of bringing about gradual harmonisation with Community standards through assistance for training and the organisation of checks.
2. To these ends, technical assistance shall be provided by the Community as appropriate.
Article 80. Energy
1. In line with the principles of the market economy and of the Treaty on the European Energy Charter, the parties shall cooperate to develop the progressive integration of Europe's energy markets.
2. The cooperation shall include technical assistance where appropriate in the following areas:
- formulation and planning of energy policy both at national and regional level, including long-term aspects;
- opening up the energy market to a greater degree, including facilitating transit of gas and electricity;
- study of the modernisation of energy infrastructure;
- improvement of distribution as well as improvement and diversification of supply;
- management and training for the energy sector;
- the development of energy resources;
- the promotion of energy saving and energy efficiency;
- the environmental impact of energy production and consumption;
- the nuclear energy sector;
- the electricity and gas sectors, including consideration of the possibility of the interconnection of the supply networks;
- the formulation of framework conditions for cooperation between undertakings in this sector, which could include the encouragement of joint ventures;
- the transfer of technology and know-how, which may include if appropriate the promotion and commercialisation of efficient energy technologies;
- use and support for the new and renewable energy sources.
Article 81. Nuclear Safety
1. The aim of cooperation on nuclear safety shall be to provide for a high level of nuclear safety.
2. Cooperation, as appropriate to the Slovenian specific situation, shall cover the following:
- nuclear safety including both regulatory and operational aspects and serious accident management;
- protection against radiation, including monitoring of radiation in the environment;
- fuel cycle problems and safeguarding of nuclear materials, including measures against nuclear smuggling;
- radioactive waste management;
- early exchange of information in case of radiological emergencies;
- decommissioning of nuclear facilities;
- nuclear third party liability.
3. Cooperation shall include the exchange of information and experience and R& D activities in accordance with Article 77.
Article 82. Environment and Protection Against Natural Disasters
1. The parties shall develop and strengthen their cooperation in the area of combating environmental degradation.
2. Cooperation shall concern the following priority areas:
- effective monitoring of pollution levels; systems of information on the state of the environment;
- combating local, regional and transboundary pollution (pollution of air and water, including drinking water);
- sustainable, efficient and environmentally effective production and use of energy; safety of industrial plants, including nuclear installations;
- classification and safe handling of chemicals;
- effective prevention and reduction of water pollution, especially of transboundary watercourses;
- reduction, recycling and safe disposal of waste (including radioactive waste) and implementation of the Basel Convention;
- the environmental impact of agriculture; soil erosion and pollution through the chemical products used in agriculture;
- protection of forests, flora and fauna and the conservation of biodiversity;
- restoring ecological stability in the countryside;
- land management, including construction and town planning;
- use of economic and fiscal instruments;
- global climate change and its prevention;
- management of coastal areas and the prevention of marine pollution;
- international conventions in the area of environment;
- improvement of environmental standards of cars;
- environmental impact assessment of concepts and infrastructural projects concerning traffic/transport;
- correct assessment of costs and internalisation of external costs.
3. Cooperation shall comprise:
- exchange of information and experts, including information and experts concerned with the transfer of clean technologies and the safe use of environmentally sound biotechnologies;
- training programmes and courses;
- joint research activities;
- approximation of laws (Community standards);
- cooperation at regional level (including cooperation within the framework of the European Environment Agency) and at international level;
- development of strategies, particularly with regard to global and climatic issues;
- environmental education and awareness of environmental issues;
- environmental impact assessments.
4. In the field of protection against natural disasters, the aim of cooperation is to assure protection of people, animals, property and environment against natural and man-made disasters.
To this end, the cooperation shall include the following areas:
- exchange of the outcome of the scientific and research development projects;
- mutual and early notification on hazards disasters and their consequences;
- rescue and relief assistance systems in cases of disasters;
- exchange of experience in rehabilitation and reconstruction after a disaster;
- education and training for protection against natural and man-made disasters;
- rescue and relief exercise.
Article 83. Transport
1. The parties shall develop and step up cooperation in order to enable Slovenia to:
- restructure and modernise transport;
- improve movement of passengers and goods and access to the transport market by removing administrative, technical and other barriers;
- achieve operating standards comparable to those in the Community;
- develop a transport system that is compatible and aligned with the Community system.
2. The cooperation shall include the following in particular:
- economic, legal and technical training programmes;
- technical assistance, advice, and exchanges of information.
3. The cooperation shall include the following priority areas:
- road transport, including taxation and social and environmental aspects;
- combined rail and road transport;
- the management of railways and airports, including cooperation between the relevant national authorities;
- the development of road, rail, port and airport infrastructure on major routes of common interest and trans-European links;
- the harmonisation of international transport statistics;
- the renovation of technical transport equipment in line with Community standards, particularly as regards road-rail transport, multimodal transport and trans-shipment;
- the promotion of joint technological and research programmes in accordance with established procedures;
- the adoption of coordinated transport policies that are compatible with those applied in the Community.
Article 84. Post and Telecommunications
1. The parties shall expand and strengthen cooperation in the area of post and telecommunications and shall to this end in particular:
- exchange information on telecommunications and postal services policies;
- exchange technical and other information and organise seminars, workshops and conferences for experts of both sides;
- conduct training and advisory operations;
- carry out transfers of technology;
- have the appropriate bodies from both sides carry out joint projects;
- promote European standards, systems of certification and regulatory approaches;
- promote new communications facilities, particularly those with commercial applications.
2. These activities shall focus on the following priority areas:
- the modernisation of Slovenia's telecommunications network and postal services and their integration into European and world networks;
- cooperation within the structures of European standardisation;
- the integration of trans-European systems; the legal and regulatory aspects of telecommunications;
- the management of telecommunications in the new economic environment: organisational structures, strategy and planning, purchasing principles;
- land use planning, including construction and urban planning.
Article 85. Banking, Insurance and other Financial Services
1. The parties shall cooperate with the aim of establishing and developing a suitable framework for the encouragement of banking, insurance and financial services sector in Slovenia.
(a) The cooperation shall focus on:
- the adoption of a common accounting system compatible with European standards;
- the strengthening and restructuring of the banking, insurance and other financial sectors;
- the improvement of supervision and regulation of banking and other financial services, and technical assistance to the establishment and the operations of an insurance supervision body in Slovenia;
- the preparation of translations of Community and Slovenian legislation;
- the preparation of terminology glossaries;
- the exchange of information in particular in respect of proposed legislation.
(b) To this end, the cooperation shall include the provision of technical assistance and training.
2. The parties shall cooperate with the aim of developing efficient audit systems in Slovenia following the harmonised Community methods and procedures.
(a) Cooperation shall focus on:
- technical assistance to the court of auditors in Slovenia;
- the establishment of internal audit units in official agencies;
- the exchange of information with regard to auditing systems;
- the standardisation of audit documentation;
- training and advisory operations.
(b) To this end, technical assistance shall be provided by the Community as appropriate.
Article 86. Monetary Policy
At the request of Slovenian authorities, the Community shall provide assistance designed to support the efforts of Slovenia towards the introduction of full convertibility of the tolar and the gradual approximation of its policies to those of the European Monetary System. Cooperation in this area will include informal exchange of information concerning the principles and the functioning of the European Monetary System, the European Monetary Institute and the European system of Central Banks.
Article 87. Prevention of Money Laundering
1. The parties agree on the necessity of making every effort and cooperating in order to prevent the use of their financial systems for laundering of proceeds from criminal activities in general and drug offences in particular.
2. Cooperation in this area shall include administrative and technical assistance with the purpose to develop the implementation of regulations and efficient functioning of the suitable standards and mechanisms to combat money laundering equivalent to those adopted by the Community and international fora in this field, in particular the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Article 88. Regional Development
1. The parties shall strengthen cooperation between them on regional development and land use.
2. To this end, any of the following measures may be undertaken:
- the exchange of information by national, regional or local authorities on regional and land use planning policy;
- the provision of assistance to Slovenia for the formulation of such policy;
- joint action by regional and local authorities in the area of economic development;
- the study of coordinated approaches for the development of border areas between the Community and Slovenia and other areas of Slovenia with severe regional disparities;
- exchange visits to explore the opportunities for cooperation and assistance;
- the exchange of civil servants or experts;
- the provision of technical assistance;